


Foundling

by Burgie



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/F, Miqo'te WoL, Vampire AU, female WoL
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:34:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25956817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: After an attack on a village, Veronyka hears word of one left behind.
Relationships: Minfilia Warde/Warrior of Light
Kudos: 4





	Foundling

News, when it came to Revenant’s Toll, was rarely good. Which, considering that the coven specialised in rescuing humans and vampires, was not all that surprising. But the pain never lessened, to learn of an attack or some other such incident. Unsurprisingly, it was usually vampires attacking humans, or demon hunts gone awry.

Today, Minfilia had gone out to learn of the news from the one who had first brought it to their attention, Veronyka waiting in the office that Minfilia had set up. It wasn’t that she disliked strangers, far from it, she was just still learning to be as good a leader as her beloved. That and her Turning was still so recent that she could be a little… unpredictable at times.

Maybe she wouldn’t have attacked that guy if he hadn’t kept staring at her girlfriend’s chest, but that wasn’t a good enough excuse, apparently. Officially, anyway. Unofficially, Thancred had congratulated her while Minfilia had thanked her. The guy had been a creep, after all.

Still, that was the sole reason that Veronyka now waited in Minfilia’s office for her girlfriend to come back, pacing the room in her worry, the black dress that she wore swirling about her feet. It was inlaid with gold and elaborate designs, her favourite dress that she’d worn yet. It also had a fur collar, which came in quite handy when the cold of Coerthas crept in past the border with Mor Dhona.

The door swung open, tearing Veronyka out of her thoughts, and she spun to face her girlfriend. By the pinched look on her face, it was bad news.

“How bad is it?” Veronyka asked. Minfilia sighed, shaking her head.

“A rogue group of Coerthan vampires attacked a small village just over our side of the border,” said Minfilia. “There was only one survivor, though she is no longer mortal.”

“A fledgling?” Veronyka asked, her hand going to the cat’s-eye pendant of protection around her neck that Minfilia had gifted to her. “Can we really manage to house another?”

“Well, you have almost completed your transformation,” said Minfilia. “You no longer need quite as much blood to sate your bloodlust, and you are learning to control your newfound strength.” She didn’t mention Veronyka’s emotional control, but she didn’t need to. It hung heavy in the air between them.

“Is there anyone there with her now?” Veronyka asked.

“Thancred and F’lhaminn went off in search of her,” said Minfilia. “I wondered if you might like to accompany me.”

“Really?” Veronyka asked, eyes wide as she stepped back, heart beating faster.

“Of course,” said Minfilia. “We may have need of your strength, especially as the journey is long and many foes may cross our path. Besides, I want her to know that she is not alone. Mayhap the two of you can find your vampire feet together. Although, the circumstances surrounding her transformation were rather… different to your own.” Veronyka flushed, remembering how it had felt for her. It hadn’t quite been a ceremony, though there had been candles. The endorphins, Veronyka had figured, would only serve to lessen the pain of her transformation. She’d been wrong about that, but the memory was still a pleasant one.

“But I can relate to her bloodlust and struggle with her new abilities,” said Veronyka. Minfilia nodded.

“Exactly,” said Minfilia. “We shall set out once we have eaten. We will need our strength for the journey.”

It was a small lunch, accompanied by the usual goblet of wine, and then the two set out, dressed in attire better fit for travelling, Veronyka astride a grey gelding named Stormy while Minfilia rode a palomino mare named Amber. The scents were ones that Veronyka knew she’d have to get used to, the stinking swamp and various creatures that dwelled within. They’d smelled bad enough when she’d been mortal.

“Another thing that you will have in common with the fledgling,” said Minfilia, a teasing lilt to her voice as Veronyka wrinkled her nose in distaste, her ears folded down.

Mercifully, the journey to the small village was quiet, though the sight of it still pained Veronyka to see. Minfilia’s own face showed sympathy, though for Veronyka, the pain was still so fresh. She dismounted Stormy, wandering through the ruined village, trying to ignore the blood splatter and the ozone-soaked memories that tried to rise up. Her tail twitched behind her in agitation, Veronyka surprised to find anger surging to life in her veins, her teeth clenched, hands balled into fists.

“Come back, Veronyka,” Minfilia called, a command laced into her voice so that Veronyka shook her head and returned to where Minfilia was heading towards the ruins of a massive house. Here was the worst of the blood splatter, soaked into carpet and drapes. There were bodies, too, but movement caught Veronyka’s eye even before Minfilia rushed to the side of the small, whimpering red-haired girl, curled up in a ball, knees drawn to the chest of her blood-soaked dress. It had probably been white, once.

“You’re finally here,” said Thancred, rising from where he knelt beside the girl. F’lhaminn was on the other side of the girl, trying to murmur soothing words to her.

“Has she fed?” Minfilia asked, noting the blood everywhere. “Or is the blood from the attack?”

“Well, she didn’t kill her family, if that’s what you’re worried about,” said Thancred. “They died protecting her, apparently.” Minfilia closed her eyes, and Veronyka remembered hearing that her father had died in much the same manner. But then, opening her eyes and blinking away bloody tears, Minfilia knelt in front of the girl.

“Hello there,” said Minfilia, giving her a gentle smile. “My name is Minfilia, and who might you be?” The girl sniffed, slowly raising bloody eyes up to Minfilia. The red tear tracks down her cheeks looked ghastly.

“R-ryne,” said the girl. She looked at Minfilia’s fangs. “Thancred said that… he’s like me. Are all of you like me?” She looked around at them.

“We are,” said Minfilia. “Veronyka here has just recently been Turned like you, actually.”

“Does the sun hurt you too?” Ryne blurted as she looked at Veronyka. “And does the thirst ever stop?”

“Uh… no and yes,” said Veronyka. “But that’s only because I’m a Gyr Abanian vampire, while you’ll be… Coerthan? I think?” She looked to Minfilia for the answer.

“Considering her sire is Coerthan, she most likely will be too,” said Minfilia. “That means that you won’t get so cold out in the snow. Sun, however… will still be deadly. But don’t worry- that is precisely the reason why I have created the gloom that pervades Mor Dhona.”

“Oh yeah, I learned about that from my-” Ryne cut herself off, eyes filling with tears again.

“Come,” said Minfilia, giving her a sad smile. “Let us leave this place of death. Worry not, your parents will receive a proper burial, but after you’ve had a decent feed.”

“I don’t want to feed on anyone, though,” said Ryne, her earlier curiosity replaced by despair. “I want to drink blood but I just can’t do it. Except for that flask that Thancred gave me.”

“She fairly ripped it out of my hands,” said Thancred, chuckling.

“I’m sorry,” said Ryne, her eyes downcast.

“Don’t apologise,” said Thancred. “We’ve all been there. Well, except for F’lhaminn. Though, technically, she’s been the one having the flask ripped out of her hands.” F’lhaminn gave a fond smile.

“I have dozens of stories that I could tell about when these three were fledglings,” said F’lhaminn. “Most of them from Thancred alone.”

“I would prefer if you didn’t,” said Thancred. Ryne hiccuped a laugh, though tears still streamed down her cheeks.

“Would you like to ride with me?” Minfilia asked. “Or you could ride with F’lhaminn, Veronyka, or Thancred. It’s entirely up to you.” Ryne looked between the three, debating, nibbling her lower lip and then wincing as her fang tore it open. She swallowed, grimacing. And then, she held her hand out to Minfilia, allowing her to help her up.

“What did she feed on, before you got here?” Veronyka whispered to Thancred as Minfilia led Ryne over to the horses.

“I found the remains of a sow behind the house,” said Thancred, his voice low so as to avoid detection. “Poor thing, but at least she doesn’t have to live with the guilt of killing her parents.”

“But why kill the parents and Turn her?” Veronyka asked. Thancred rubbed her shoulder.

“The motives of rogue vampires are… strange,” said Thancred. “And make little sense. But I’m willing to bet that they intended to take her home with them.”

“Before?” Veronyka finished. Thancred grinned, showing fangs.

“Oh, before the cavalry arrived, of course, and chased them back over the border,” said Thancred. “I just wish I’d found her sooner.”

“Will she be okay, do you think?” Veronyka asked, watching as Ryne wrapped her arms around Minfilia, now wearing the white robe that Minfilia usually donned when she had to leave Mor Dhona. It was utterly huge on the smaller girl.

“In time, yes,” said Thancred. “It’ll take a lot of love and care to get her to that point, though.”

“Well, she’s in good hands with Minfilia and F’lhaminn,” said Veronyka.

“Especially F’lhaminn,” said Thancred, nodding.

The group set out once again, this time headed back to Revenant’s Toll. As expected, Ryne gagged at the stench of the swamp, covering her nose with her hand.

“I wish I could say that it gets better but really, you just get used to it,” said Veronyka, riding up beside her. Ryne grimaced, squeezing her watering eyes shut.

All five of them were glad to arrive back at the castle, though none moreso than Minfilia.

“Welcome to your new home, should you choose to stay,” said Minfilia as she walked through the hallways with Ryne just a few steps behind her. “I’ll show you to your quarters, which have a bathroom so you can scrub all of the blood and grime off you.”

“Is my dress ruined?” Ryne asked, fingering the blood-soaked fabric. Minfilia shook her head, Ryne’s blue eyes widening. “Really?”

“My mother can work wonders with alchemy,” said Minfilia. “She’ll have your dress whiter than it was before in no time. Though, you may need to change into something different after your bath.”

“Are there clothes in my room?” Ryne asked.

“Of course,” said Minfilia. “Veronyka can tell you all about it, if you want.” Veronyka stepped forward from where she’d been shadowing them, not wanting to intrude or overwhelm the girl. Ryne looked up at her, and Veronyka swallowed her apprehension. For her, being a vampire was a choice, but for Ryne…

“Your clothes are so pretty,” said Ryne, taking her completely off-guard. “Will you help me choose a new outfit while I’m in the bath?”

“Sure,” said Veronyka, nodding. Ryne grinned at her before turning the doorknob and skipping into her new bedroom, a changed girl completely.

“Call for me if you need anything,” Minfilia murmured to Veronyka. “I need to make a report to the Council.”

“Will do,” said Veronyka, before she pressed a brief kiss to Minfilia’s lips. She heard the bathwater running as she stepped into the bedroom, a mirror to her own but with white accents rather than purple. She hoped that the huge double bed wouldn’t be too big for Ryne, and that she would have no problems sleeping alone.

But Veronyka still worried as she sifted through the clothes for Ryne to wear. Especially as the sound of crying reached her ears. Veronyka cast her eyes downwards, ears lowering against the heartbreaking sound. She remembered her own first few days in the castle, how she’d mourned the village, the family, that she’d lost. But she hadn’t also needed to contend with all of the added stress that came with turning into a vampire. Though, perhaps it was the first part that had made Minfilia decide to leave her alone with Ryne. For who better to comfort an orphaned child than a fellow orphan?


End file.
